Building structure with anchored panels



Aug. 2, 1966 T. F. PAULS 3,263,385

BUILDING STRUCTURE WITH ANCHORED PANELS Filed Aug. 29, 1962 INVENTOR. THERON F. PAULS A TTOPNEV United States Patent 3,263,385 BUILDING STRUCTURE WITH ANCHORED PANELS Theron F. Pauls, Alton, Ill., assignor to Ulin Mnthieson Chemical Corporation, New Haven, Conn, a corporation of Virginia Filed Aug. 29, 1962', Ser. No. 220,196 4 Claims. (Cl. 52-461) This invention is directed to building structures and more particularly to the fastening devices for securing structural panel members.

It is an object of this invention to provide a novel fastener for anchoring various structural panel members to a building framework.

It is another object of this invention to provide a novel connection means for and between a plurality of strutural panel members for securement to the framework of various building structures, as for example Wall coverings and wall partitions.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel connection means for clam-ping and securing marginal edge portions of adjacent structural panel members.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a novel fastening means for structural panel members which is relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become more apparent from the following description and drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a fragmentary portion of a section illustrating one embodiment of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view in cross-section illustrating another embodiment of this invention;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines III-III of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an elevational View in cross-section illustrating a further embodiment of this invention; and

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view in perspective illustrating a still further embodiment of this invention.

Referring to the drawings, FIGURE 1 illustrates a building construction in which a plurality of structural panel members 1, as for example those employed in the construction of a vault-type roof of aluminum or other materials, are secured or anchored to a beam or rafter 2 of a conventional building skeleton by means of the novel anchoring elements, generally indicated by the numeral 3, which are provided, Where required, to secure adjacent panel members 1. Each of the anchoring units consists of a base member 4 and a cap member 5, both of which are preferably of extruded perforable metal, such as aluminum and the like. However, it is to be understood that such units may be formed of other material, such as plastic, and shaped by other methods.

The base member 4 is generally of elongated configuration and defined by side walls 6 disposed in spaced apart relationship to each other and connected across one end by a web portion 7 so as to define between the indicated parts a U-shaped channel 9. The web portion 7 has extending from it the integral panel support flanges 8 ex tending transversely therefrom, and generally having the configuration of the panel members which are to be placed thereon. In the particular embodiment shown, the panel support side flanges 8 are of an arcuate configuration corresponding to that of the panel members 1. Preferably, the panel support side flanges define a trough-like seat 16 coextending with the base member which additionally functions as a gutter for any moisture seeping thereto from the panel members 1. As indicated in the drawing, the marginal edge portions of the adjacent panel members 1 are seated on the panel support side flanges 3 to which they are clamped by the cap member 5.

The cap member 5 generally coextends with the base member 4 and is defined by a longitudinal web section 11 having projecting from its lateral edges the integral edge flanges 12 disposed in a plane substantially parallel with that of the panel support side flanges 8. Thereafter, the marginal edge portions of the panel members 1 are clamped and secured between the base member 4 and the cap member 5 by means of any conventional fastener which is driven either manually or by explosively actuated tools, through the cap member and base member into the beam or rafter 2 under sulficient force to rigidly secure the various elements together. In this manner the anchoring unit provides a very inexpensive means of securing panel members together wherein the transversely extending panel support side flanges 8 provide resistance against horizontal displacement of the panel members from the anchoring unit. In addition, as will be appreciated, the anchoring also provides a secondary beam for support of the panel members 1, particularly where utilized in roof constructions.

In addition, the fastening units 13 of this invention, such as the embodiment described above, provide a very versatile means of anchoring structural panel members to skeleton frameworks by lending themselves to various modifications. For example, as illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 3, the anchoring unit may be utilized for securing substantially planar panel members in a vertical plane to a structural skeleton. In this embodiment a pair of structural panel members 14 are formed with bent marginal edge portions 15 positioned on the panel support side flanges 16 of an anchoring unit 3 haracterized, as with the preceding embodiment, with a pair of spaced side Walls 6 interconnected at one end by a web portion 7'. In this modification, the anchoring unit may initially be fastened to a beam 2' by means of a suitable fastener 13 followed by positioning the panel members 14 against the support side flanges 16. The cap member 5 is then positioned on the other side of the marginal portions 15 of the panel members 14 which are disposed within the seat of the base member 3', and the various elements secured together by means of a bolt 17 inserted through an opening 18 provided in the web section 11' of the cap member 5, and engaged into a threaded opening 19 provided in the Web portion 7 of anchoring unit 3.

The embodiment of FIGURE 4 illustrates a still further modification of the anchoring unit 3" used in conjunction with a pair of corrugated structural panel members 20 having the terminal corrugations seated on arcuately configured panel support side flanges 21 of the anchoring unit 3". The corrugated panel members 20 are secured to the base member 3" by means of the cap member 5 by means of a bolt 17' in a manner as described in the embodiment immediately above with the panel members 20 clamped against the support side flanges 21 by means of the arcuately shaped edge flanges 23 of the cap member coextending therewith. In addition if desired, additional sealing may be obtained by the interpositioning of a suitable gasket or seal ing material 24 between the edge flanges 23 of cap member 5 and the terminal corrugations of the panel members 20. Further, as illustrated, the anchoring unit 3" is. also provided with a pair of bottom flanges 25 extending toward each other in spaced relationship from each of said walls 6" so as to define a slot 28 in communicating relationship With the channel 9" of the base member 4". The provision of the bottom flanges provides a means of securing the base member 4" to a conventional U-shaped channel member 22 by means of a bolt and nut assembly 26 having a squared collar 27 seated in the slot 28 with the shank portion 29 of the bolt extending through a suitable aperture provided in the channel member 22. Although specific means of fasteners have been employed for illustrating the manner of clamping a panel member between the base and cap members, it is to be understood that other means of fastening may also be employed, for example, such a fastener may comprise expandable fasteners such as a spring-Wing toggle bolt.

It is also to be understood that the bottom flanged anchoring units may also be secured to beams or rafters 2" of a building skeleton, by means of a fastener such as employed with the embodiment of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 illustrates a still further embodiment of this invention utilizing an anchoring unit 3" provided with bottom flanges 25. In this embodiment, substantially planar panel members 14 are secured between base members 4" and cap members 5", with the various elements secured to a beam or rafter 2" by means of a fastener 13' which extends through the cap member 5" and the web portion 7, into the beam through the slot 28 definedv by bottom flanges 25 of the anchoring unit. In this variation the base member 4", of the anchoring unit, in addition to serving as a secondary supporting beam, also provides, by means of slot 28, defined by bottom flanges 25, a means for utilization of T-bolt-s 30 or like fasteners, for the attachment of water lines, conduits, false ceilings and the like.

Although the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, materials, and details, various modifications and changes, within the scope of this invention, will be apparent to one skilled in the art, and are contemplated to be embraced within the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A building structure comprising a beam; an elongated channebshaped base member defined by spaced apart upright side walls connected together at their upper edges by a Web portion at the lateral edge portions thereof, integral panel support side flanges extending divergently upwardly from said web portion at said lateral edges forming an upwardly opening trough-like seat coextending with said base member; spaced apart panel members having their adjacent marginal edge portions downwardly converging and resting on said side flanges; an elongated trough-like cap member seated in said seat adjacent said panel members and defined by a longitudinal web section provided at its lateral edges with coextending edge flanges extending divergently upwardly from said web section substantially parallel with said side flanges, said edge flanges seated on top of said marginal edge portions with said web section spaced from said web portion of the base member; and fastening means rigidly securing together said beam, said base member, said panel members and said cap memher.

2. The building structure of claim 1 wherein said fastening means comprises an elongated headed fastener secured under sufficient axial force in said beam through said base and cap members to clamp marginal edge portions between said base and cap members.

3. The building structure of claim 1 including bottom flanges on said side walls extending transversely therefnom toward each other in spaced relationship and defining an elongated slot in communicating relationship with the channel of said base member.

4. The building structure of claim 1 wherein said marginal edge portions and said side flanges are of nesting arcuate configuration.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,387,621 8/1921 Shuman 52456 1,966,673 7/1934 Linck 52395 2,055,127 9/1936 Goodwin 52463 2,328,197 8/1943 Cowin 5286 2,866,233 12/1958 Lydard 2092 FOREIGN PATENTS 352,481 4/1961 Switzerland.

EARL I. WITMER, Primary Examiner. 

1. A BUILDING STRUCTURE COMPRISING A BEAM; AN ELONGATED CHANNEL-SHAPED BASE MEMBER DEFINED BY SPACED APART UPRIGHT SIDE WALLS CONNECTED TOGETHER AT THEIR UPPER EDGES BY A WEB PORTION AT THE LATERAL EDGE PORTIONS THEREOF, INTEGRAL PANEL SUPPORT SIDE FLANGES EXTENDING DIVERGENTLY UPWARDLY FROM SAID WEB PORTION AT SAID LATERAL EDGES FORMING AN UPWARDLY OPENING TROUGH-LIKE SEAT COEXTENDING WITH SAID BASE MEMBER; SPACED APART PANEL MEMBERS HAVING THEIR ADJACENT MARGINAL EDGE PORTIONS DOWNWARDLY CONVERGING AND RESTING ON SAID SIDE FLANGES; AN ELONGATED TROUGH-LIKE CAP MEMBER SEATED IN SAID SEAT ADJACENT SAID PANEL MEMBERS AND DEFINED BY A LONGITUDINAL WEB SECTION PROVIDED AT ITS LATERAL EDGES WITH COEXTENDING EDGE FLANGES EXTENDING DIVERGENTLY UPWARDLY FROM SAID WEB SECTION SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL WITH SAID SIDE FLANGES, SAID EDGE FLANGES SEATED ON TOP OF SAID MARGINAL EDGE PORTIONS WITH SAID WEB SECTION SPACED FROM SAID WEB PORTION OF THE BASE MEMBER; AND FASTENING MEANS RIGIDLY SECURING TOGETHER SAID BEAM, SAID BASE MEMBER, SAID PANEL MEMBERS AND SAID CAP MEMBER 